The History of Reiki - Japanese & Western Reiki
The History of Reiki in Brief
The Founder of Reiki Mikao Usui - 15 August 1865 – 9 March 1926
The founder of modern day Reiki was Mikao Usui, also referred to as Dr. Usui in the western world and Usui Sensei in Japan (pictured above.) Usui Sensei rediscovered Reiki in the 1920's when he was on a 21 day fast on Mt. Kurama in Japan. There are two stories of the history the of reiki and how it all happened. Firstly there is the western version as told by Madam Hawayo Takata who brought Reiki to the west and secondly is the Japanese version, which was discovered by Frank Arjava Petter, who lived in Japan for a number of years in the 1990's. There are some comparisons between the two stories. Dr. Chujiro Hayashi who healed and taught Madam Takata is pictured above in the centre and Madam Takata to the right.
Madam Takata's Version of Dr. Usui's 21 Day Fast and Attunement to Reiki
Madam Takata it seems adapted Usui Sensei's story of his fast and attunement to Reiki to be more palatable for the western world. Mrs Takata taught that Usui Sensei was a Christian minister and that one of his students asked him why people did not heal as Jesus Christ had done and he could not answer the question and this intrigued him and is what set Usui Sensei on the path to find out if it was still practised. He visited many Buddhist temples asking and they said, it was once practised, but is no longer practised. He travelled far and wide in his search to re-discover Reiki, visiting parts of Asia and Europe, as well as a visit to the united states of America. One of the things he found was that a healing power had been used by some who called it, "The Tantra of the Lightning Flash" and in part this is where Reiki found its roots. Madam Takata also taught that Usui Sensei had a doctorate from Chicago university, hence why many call him Dr. Usui. Research into this has been done and there is no record of Usui Sensei ever receiving a doctorate at Chicago university.
After several years of searching and many failures in his own personal life, Usui Sensei returned to his Buddhist monastery at the bottom of Mt. Kurama to ask to be sponsored on a 21 day fast at the small monastery near the top of Mount Kurama. Madam Takata taught that on the 21st day Dr. Usui was sat outside and a white light came from the sky and that he was scared at first and considered hiding, but decided to sit there, it then struck him in the forehead and he went upon a mystical journey, where he received a full attunement to reiki and was reconnected with the Reiki universal life force and during this journey he was given the five symbols of Reiki to further empower the healing. When Usui Sensei came back to consciousness, several hours had passed and he soon set off back down the mountain.
Madam Takata then taught of the first four miracles of Reiki. As Usui Sensei descended from Mt. Kurama he stubbed his tow, he sat down and put his hand on to heal it and when he took his hand away, it was fully healed, this was the first miracle of modern Reiki. Soon he come to an inn and asked for a big meal, the innkeeper did not wish to serve him such a great meal after his fast, feeling if would make Usui Sensei ill and that he should eat a small amount, but Usui Sensei insisted. When the innkeepers daughter come with his food, Usui Sensei noticed one side of her face was very swollen and when asked she told him she had a bad tooth. Usui Sensei began to heal it and soon the pain left and the swelling was reduced, this was the second miracle. Usui Sensei eat his meal with no ill effects, this was the third miracle. When Usui Sensei reach the temple at the bottom of Mt. Kurama he was told that the abbots sickness was keeping him bedridden, Usui over a few days healed him until he was well again, this was the fourth miracle of modern Reiki.
The Japanese Version of Usui Senseis' 21 Day Fast and Reiki Attunement
Frank Arjava Petter lived in Japan in the 1990's and did a lot of research into Reiki and subsequently wrote one or more books on the subject. One of them is, "This is Reiki". In his time in Japan he met one or two Reiki Masters who had been attuned by Usui Sensei himself, and they told him the story and history of Mikao Usui and how Reiki is alive and well in Japan today, and that Usui Senseis' Reiki system is still being taught and is closely following the traditional ways in which Usui Sensei taught it. Mikao Usui's Reiki healing system in Japan is called "Usui Shiki Ryoho" the Usui System of Natural Healing.
So from what Frank Arjava Petter has written Mikao Usui was born into a tendai buddhist family and was of samurai cast. He later become a Buddhist priest/monk. At some point he became very interested in the lost art of hands on life force healing. So indeed Usui Sensei looked far and wide for understandings of the lost healing arts and he discover they had been used by some of the Buddhas as far back as 2,600 years ago and maybe longer, and indeed his monastery sponsored him to fast on Mt. Kurama for the 21 days, during which time it is believe he might of stood under a waterfall that struck the top of his head to induce an altered state of mind that was also practised by others.
It was during such a time that he had his mystical journey and became fully initiated and attuned to Reiki, the universal life force energy and healing power. As to whether he received the Reiki symbols in his attunement it is uncertain and they maybe drawn from around him, from the many ancient texts he read and his own tendai buddhist love symbol can be seen today in the temple at the bottom of Mt. Kurama and it looks very similar to the mental/emotional symbol that is used in many western Reiki systems today. The distant and Master symbol are written in kanji it appears. Reiki may have elements of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sanskrit and Shamanism within it. As for the first four miracles, they may or may not of happened, but there is no doubt Usui Sensei was a remarkably powerful healer and a respected Sensei/teacher.
Usui Sensei went on to attune some 2000 Reiki students in all, among them a limited amount of Reiki Masters, as only the most devoted students went on to become Reiki Masters. In time he practice Reiki in his clinic in Tokyo, until a big earthquake destroyed it, he then practised in a clink some distance outside of Tokyo. During the big earthquake there were a lot of people that needed help and Usui Sensei healed and helped many, for which he was later honoured by the Japanese government.
Madam Takata taught we should charge for Reiki, because people would not understand the gift of healing they had received if not, and taught Usui Sensei had in the beginning healed for free, but many kept returning after a time, so he decided to charge, so that those coming for healing might better understand and appreciate the gift of healing they had been given. It is understood he charge what they call the middle road, those with more paid more and those with less paid less.
Usui Sensei at some stage decided it was better to create 3 levels of Reiki to break it down for his students to learn more easily, as well as giving them more time to practice and develop their healing gifts. These levels are Reiki Level 1 - Shoden, which means First Teachings, Reiki Level 2 - Okuden, Hidden or Inner Teachings and Reiki Master Level 3 - Shinpiden, Mystery Teachings. In some western Reiki systems Reiki Masters are sometimes taught in two levels, Part-A Reiki Master Healer and Part-B Reiki Master Teacher.
Dr. Chujiro Hayashi - 15 September 1880 – 11 May 1940
Dr. Hayashi was a disciple of Mikao Usui, played a major role in the spread of Reiki outside of Japan.
Dr. Hayashi was a naval physician and gave Reiki to treat his patients. He studied with Usui Sensei in 1925. He developed his own system of Hayashi Reiki Kenkyu-kai in Tokyo, Shinano-machi while Usui Sensai was still alive, and upheld the way Usui has taught Reiki.
Dr. Hayashi initiated Hawayo Takata to Reiki levels 1 and 2, soon after she had been a patient of his in Japan and then later he went to stay with Madam Takata in Hawaii to help her with her clinic. It was during his time there that he initiated Madam Takata to Reiki Master level 3.
Sadly Dr Hayashi committed traditional suicide – seppuku in 1940, because he did not wish to be called back into the Japanese navy, this was near the beginning of the second world war.
Madam Hawayo Takata - 24 December 1900 - 11 December 1980
Up until the 1990's it was believed that Madam Takata was the last remaining Reiki Master in the world, as she had taught that she was. That is until Frank Arjava Petter found the Usiu Shiki Ryoho - Usui System of Natural Healing alive and well in Japan in the 1990's and is still going strong today.
We should be thankful to Madam Takata for bringing Reiki to the west, she did a great deal of good in her lifetime. Madam Takata attuned some 22 Reiki Masters, who have helped to spread Reiki throughout the western world. To become a Reiki Master with Madam Takata cost $10,000 USD and they were not allowed to take notes or sketch the symbols, hence why they vary from those original 22 Reiki Masters, and this is part of the reason why they vary in different systems of Reiki, being passed down on from memory alone. We can be thankful that in this modern day the cost of learning reiki now comes within affordability to many.
Phyllis Lei Furumoto - Reiki – Granddaughter of Madam Takata
Has inherited the office of the Grandmaster, which was founded in 1993 after Phyllis Lei Furumoto's lineage was recognised, to be the bearer of the title of Reiki Grandmaster of Usui Shiki Ryoho.
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Author Neil - Copyright Neil 2018© | All Rights Reserved
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Credits: Dates of birth and death sourced from Wikipedia. Reseach from from reading “William Lee Rands – Reiki – The Healing Touch” & “Frank Aejava Petter – This is Reiki”
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